


Whiskey and Wine

by panther



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5397536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panther/pseuds/panther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry stops smiling when his colleagues go home. Hannah finds herself watching him more and more until he confronts her about it and in turn she comforts him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whiskey and Wine

It is common for Aurors' to come into the pub after their shifts when Hannah takes over the running of the pub. Some are bright eyed and enthusiastic teenagers bursting to share the stories they are able to talk about in public. They come because they cannot cook and the burnt attempts or failed ingredient mixes needs breaking up a few times a week. Most are older and need the whiskey as much as the mutton chops they order with it. They come because there is no one to go home to anymore or they need to compose themselves before they face anyone else. She cannot figure out which group Harry Potter fits into. He is young and when he arrives with his partner Marcus Flint he is laughing but he always stays longer and that is when he orders the whiskey, moves to the bar, and Hannah watches his shoulders fall. 

She knows his relationship with Ginny Weasley never survived the younger woman's seventh year and that he is more distant from Ron and Hermione since they moved in together. He has a young Godson. Other than that, there is not much Hannah can say for sure about Harry Potter after the war. The papers sure say a lot about him but she has learned that lesson, learned it long ago. Tonight though, he is not laughing with Marcus. In fact, he has come in alone and tucked himself away in a corner. He has been staring intently at the menu for around ten minutes and Hannah is not convinced he is actually reading it. She suspects he is in his own little world and by the lines across his forehead she guesses it is not one of sunshine and roses. Keeping an eye on Harry she does her round of collecting dishes and sets them to clean under the bar and then set themselves back into the correct racks. Useful charm that. Su Li and her friends wave at her and signal for another bottle of wine. It will be their third of the evening but there are five of them there and they are not causing any bother. Hannah just makes a note of it; just in case. 

Eventually Harry signals her over and asks for the macaroni cheese in a dull tone. He sounds exhausted. She tries to make herself sound super cheerful and offers him a wide smile but he only nods and asks for a glass of white wine to go with his dinner. He has never ordered wine before. Hannah is not sure if that means anything but she remembers it regardless and passes his order through to Roger in the back. When she turns from the small fridge she stores the chilled drinks in she finds Harry at the bar waiting on it. He is flipping a bar matt that advertises _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_ on it over and over and when she places his glass on the bar he takes it with a muttered thank you and disappears back to his table. It isn't like him at all. 

*

Harry has a second glass of wine and then turns to butterbeer for the rest of the evening. From his robes he produces a battered book which Hannah can't see the name of and gets absorbed in it until he is the last customer in the bar. There is an hour until closing and Roger has gone home. Hannah pours herself a glass of wine and picks up her own book to sit and read on the cushion-charmed stool she has behind the bar, elbows leaning on the firm oak. It is not the most professional thing to do but it is pretty common in wizarding pubs. 

"Do you want me to go?"

Hannah almost drops her book. He has not made a sound for nearly half an hour. "Of course not, we're still open."

He's on his feet now and crossing the floor quietly as he shrinks his book with a wave of his wand and puts it back into his pocket. Then he gestures to the stool directly opposite from Hannah. "May I join you?"

"Absolutely." Hannah states, a little firmer than she intended, while putting her own book to the side. 

"You've been watching me tonight. In fact...you do that a lot. Watch people." Harry starts quietly. He drums his fingers on the bar top and then glances up at Hannah."Can I have a wine please?"

"Why don't I just open a bottle?" He nods and she nods back before slipping to her feet and retrieving an unopened bottle from the fridge. She tops up her own glass and then pours his before levitating the bottle back to the cooler and returning to her seat. "I watch all my customers, Harry. It is a habit but one important for dealing with idiots like Fletcher who would eat and run if they could. It also helps to spot terrified muggleborns and their families as quickly as possible. "

"Hmm, maybe. You watch me more though. I'm trained to notice people noticing me. Plus, I've had years of experience of being watched."

She blushes and glances at the floor. There is no answer she can really give him that won't sound really weird. "You look sad sometimes. You are happy when you are around people and then when they leave you just...seem sad. And I don't like that. I hate it. I hate when anyone is sad but if anyone has the right to be happy it has to be you."

He laughs and it sounds hollow. He takes such a large gulp of the wine that he flinches getting it down."Oh Hannah. If only. I'm Harry Potter. I have people afraid of me, people who hate me and people who want to get to know a hero I never really was. It makes it hard to build a social circle and with ah, things with the Weasleys are not so great these days..." He shrugs and grins at her. She can't smile back after hearing that.

"You're lonely. Surrounded by people yet feeling completely alone." Hannah says softly, sadly. 

"Rather pathetic for the Chosen One isn't it?"

She takes another sip of her wine and notices it is only ten minutes until closing. No one will turn up now. "Give me a moment. I'm going to lock up."

"Oh, I'll just-"

"Stay. Stay with me tonight. Finish the wine and...stay, Harry. You're not just a hero to me."

He slinks back into place and nods warily. She moves to lock the doors wondering just how many women have taken advantage of getting close to him or how many he's turned away fearing they might. It maybe says a lot about her that he's not leaving. She is not sure what those things are but she is pretty sure that she is ok with them. Gathering her courage she moves back to the bar and summons their bottle and picks up her glass. She awkwardly balances the two in one hand and reaches to Harry with the other. He picks up his glass and follows.


End file.
